You have a big family and tons of friends. And your partner? Same. You’re expected to invite your mother’s cousin’s husband’s daughter and you’re already at a guest list of like, 350 people! Where does it end? It’s time to play a little game of snip-snip, A.K.A making the dreaded wedding guest CUT list. Savage? Maybe. But necessary.

Start By Making An “A” & “B” List

Creating the perfect wedding guest list can be a tough job but there are ways to make it easy breezy. The first step to figuring out who receives an invite and who doesn’t? Create an A-list and a B-list. Your BFF’s, your mom, dad, brother, sister, close aunts and uncles; they’ll likely be on the A-list. Cousins whose names you hardly remember, aunts you haven’t spoken to in years, your friend from high school who you lost touch with years ago; they’ll probably go on the B-list. Only you know who makes which column, but it’s a good thing to do before your guest list gets too long.

Cut The Co-Workers

Ahhhh, co-workers. Sometimes, you spend more time with these people over anyone else. But, are they really close friends? If your guest list gets too big, your co-workers should be the first to go, especially if they’re just that: co-workers who you speak with at work, but once 5 o’clock hits? You don’t talk to them until the next day.

Keep It Tight-Knit

Unless you’re super close with your third cousin, save those distant relative invitations for close family members and friends only. You don’t need to invite your childhood friend that you haven’t spoken to in 10 years either. I know it’s hard to leave these people out, but weddings are expensive and you don’t need to invite every single person you’ve ever met, even if they are blood-related.

Say No To Kids

Plenty of brides and grooms struggle with this question, “should we invite kids to our wedding?” and admittedly, the answer is tough. But, if your wedding guest list is getting out of control, this might be the easiest way to make cuts: no kids. You may receive complaints and frustrations, but it’s your special day and you can include or exclude anyone you wish.

Snip Some Plus-Ones

Similar to the kids point, figuring out when to include plus-ones can be a tough wedding planning area. If you’re struggling with shortening up your guest list, re-evaluate who gets to bring a date and who doesn’t. Give plus-ones to those who are married, engaged, or in a serious long-term relationship. Be selective on who gets to bring a date and this will help shorten up your guest list significantly.

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